Oil well straightener



April 13, 1943. Q R vDOW'NING 2,316,409

OIL WELL STRAIGHTENER Filed Dec. 5, 1941 unulmnnnmm y A T Tag/yf@ nale UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OIL WELL STRAIGHTENER. Lloyd R. Downing, Denver, C010.

Application December 5, 1941, Serial No. 421,707

(Cl. Z55-1.6)

14 claims.

This invention relates to a bit guiding device lfor rotary oil well drilling operations and while more particularly designed for straightening drill holes which have become inclined from the vertical, it can also be used for deflecting drill holes from the vertical when desired.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which all mechanical parts such as levers, cams, etc., will be eliminated and in which only a single, hydraulically operated member will be employed for the deecting purpose.

Other objects of the invention are to employ the pressure of the mud stream of the tool stem as the operating medium for the deecting tool; and to provide means for holding the delecting tool locked to the drill pipe until it has been properly positioned; and to provide automatic means for releasing the lock when ready for operation.

Other objects vand advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description ofthe invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all Views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side view of the improved deecting device illustrating it in place in a drill hole;

Fig. 2 is -an enlarged, vertical section therethrough;

Fig. 3 is a cross section, taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar cross section, taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 illustrates a cross section similar to that of Fig. 4 with the expanding shoe of the deilector in the extended position; and n Fig. 6 is a cross section, taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 2.

The improved deflecting tool consists of a tubular hollow core member I0 terminating at its top in an enlarged head II of substantially the bit diameter. The head I I carries a tapered, threaded pin I2 which, in operation, is threaded into the drill collar I3 of the tool string in place of the usual bit. With this device in place the bit, illustrated at I4, is threaded into a box I5 in a lower head I6. The lower head is threaded or otherwise secured on the lower extremity of the tubular core member I and is also of substantially the full bit diameter.

Abarrel I'I is rotatably mounted around the core between the heads II and It. It is separated from these heads by means of suitable thrust bearings I8 'and is journalled on the core member upon suitable anti-friction bearings IS. The bearings I8 and I9 are protected from the entrance of mud, sand, water, etc. by means of suitable compression gaskets 29 operated from gasket springs 2| A socket 22 is milled in one side of the barrel Il to receive an arcuate-faced expanding shoe 23. The shoe is preferably flanged, as shown at 24, at its top and bottom. As the shoe moves outwardly, these flanges strike retaining plates 25 which act to prevent the shoe from separating from the barrel. The face of the shoe is preferably formed with vertically extending latch teeth 26.

The rear face of the shoe 23 carries two cylindrical piston bosses 2l which t snugly into pressure openings 28 extending through the wall of the barrel II to a positionv adjacent the core It. The core is formed with mud passages 29 communicating through its wall in vertical alignment with the piston bosses 21. The inner wall of the barrel, also in vertical alignment with the passages 29, contains internal pressure grooves Sil extending circumferentially around the core Iii.

One of the piston bosses 2l is formed with a latch tongue 3| which is positioned to ext'end into and engage one of the mud passages 2e when the shoe 23 is seated in its socket 22.

Operation Let us assume that it is desired to deilect a drill hole to the north. The tools are lowered into the well with the shoe 23 facing the south. rThis particular placement of the shoe is 'accurately maintained while the drill stem is being lowered. When the bit is bottomed in the well, pressure is applied on the circulating unud within the hollow core member Il) by means of the usual mud pump. This pressure acts outwardly through the passages 29 against the piston bosses 21 forcing the shoe 23 outwardly against the wall of the drill hole.

It will be noted that `when the device is being lowered into the well, the barrel I'I is locked to the core member I0 by means of the latch tongue 3|. As soon as the shoe moves outwardly, however, t-he latch tongue 3I passes from the core member I0 so that the latter is free to rotate independently of the barrel I'I. The pressure of the shoe 23 against the south side of the hole forces the drill bit I4 against the north side thereof. The rotary rig is now started and the bit I4 is rotated as is usual in drilling operations, the power for rotation being carried through the barrel I1 by means of the core member I0.

During the drill, the pressure is maintained on the mud stream so that the drill is continuously forced toward the north as it drills, s as to deflect the hole northwardly.

Should it be found that the mud laden fluid is passing through the bit too readily to maintain the desired pressure against the shoe 23, it has been found that this condition can be corrected by slightly closing the mud passages in the bit by welding or otherwise.

While a speciiic form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A drill bit deflected tool comprising: a core member arranged to be positioned in the tool string above a drill bit; a barrel rotatably mounted about said core member; a hydraulically-operated shoe in one Wall of said barrel for contacting the wall of the drill hole; a piston yboss fixed on the inner face of said shoe and slidably mounted in a pressure opening in said barrel; and means for conducting pressure from the core member to said pressure opening in the barrel to force said piston and said shoe outwardly therefrom.

2. A drill bit deilecting tool comprising: a core member arranged to be positioned in the tool string above a drill bit; a barrel rotatably mounted about said core member; a hydraulically-operated shoe in one wall of said barrel for contacting the wall of the drill hole; a piston boss fixed on the inner face of said shoe and being slidably mounted in a pressure opening extending to the interior of said barrel; means on said boss for engaging said core member for locking said barrel to said core member when said shoe is retracted; and means for conducting fluid under pressure from said core member to the interior of said barrel.

4. A deflecting tool for oil well drilling comprising: a tubular core member; means Ifor securing the upper extremity of said member to a drill collar; means for securing the lower extremity of said core member to a drill bit; a tubular barrel surrounding said core member, the latter being rotatable in said barrel; a socket formed in one side of said barrel; an expanding shoe; and pressure openings communicating from said socket through the inner wall of said barrel; and mud passages through said core member so that hydraulic pressure in the former will force said shoe outwardly from said barrel;

4. A deflecting t-oo1 for oil well drilling comprising: a tubular core member; means for securing the upper extremity of said member to a drill collar; means for securing the lower extremity of said core member to a drill bit; a tubular barrel surrounding said core member, the latter being rotatable in said barrel; an expanding shoe indented into one side of said barrel; pistons rigidly fixed on theinner face of said shoe slidable within pressure openings in said barrel; and means for conducting fluid under pressure from the hollow interior of said core member against said pistons.

5. A deecting tool for oil well drilling comprsing: a tubular core member; means for securing the upper extremity of said member to a drill collar; means for securing the lower extremity of said core member to a drill bit; a tubular barrel surrounding said core member, the latter being rotatable in said barrel; an expanding shoe indented into one side of said barrel; pistons on the inner face of said shoe slidable within pressure openings in said barrel; means for conducting uid under pressure from the hollow interior of said core member against said pistons; and a locking lug extending inwardly from said shoe into a receiving opening in said core member to prevent said barrel from rotating on said core member until said shoe is forced outward therefrom.

6. A drill bit deflecting tool comprising: a tubular core member; means for securing said member to the tool string of a drilling rig; an upper head on said member; a lower head on said member, said heads being of substantially drill bit diameter; a cylindrical barrel rotatably surrounding said member between said heads, said barrel having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said heads; an indented socket formed in one side of said barrel; a shoe member resting in said socket; and hydraulic means for forcing said shoe directly outward from said barrel.

'7. A drill bit deiiecting tool comprising: a, tubular core member; means for securing said member to the tool string of a drilling rig; an upper head on said member; a lower head on said member, said heads being of substantially drill bit diameter; a cylindrical barrel rotatably surrounding said member between said heads, said barrel having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said heads; an indented socket formed in one side of said barrel; a shoe member `resting in said socket; hydraulic means for forcing said shoe directly outward from said barrel; -and means for guiding the outward movement of said shoe at right angles to the axis of said barrel.

8. A drill bit deilecting tool comprising: a tubular core member; means for securing said member to the tool string of a drilling rig; an upper head on said member; a lower head on said member, said heads being of substantially drill bit diameter; a cylindrical barrel rotatably surrounding said member between said heads, said barrel having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said heads; an indented socket formed in one side of said barrel; a shoe member resting in said socket; openings communicating from the bottom of said socket to the core member on the interior thereof; and passages communicating from the interior of said core member to the exterior thereof so that fluid under pressure may ilow from said core member into said openings to force the shoe outward from said barrel.

9. A drill bit deilecting tool comprising: a tubular core member; means for securing said member to the tool string of a drilling rig; an upper head on said member; a lower head on said member, said heads being of substantially drill bit diameter; a cylindrical barrel rotatably surrounding said member between said heads, said barrel having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said heads; an indented socket formed in one side of said barrel; a sho-e member resting in said socket; openings communicating from the bottom of said socket to the core member on the interior thereof piston bosses formed on the back of said sho-e and being slidable in said openings lto support and guide the movements of said shoe; and means for supplying fluid under pressure to said openings to force said bosses outwardly therefrom.

10. A drill bit deflecting tool comprising: a tubular core member; means for securing said member to the tool string of a drilling rig; an upper head on said member; a lower head on said member, said heads being of substantially drill bit diameter; a cylindrical barrel rotatably surrounding said member between said heads, said barrel having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said heads; an indented socket formed in one side of said barrel; a shoe member resting in said socket; openings communicating from the bottom of said socket to the core member on the interior thereof; piston bosses formed on the back of said shoe and being slidable in said openings to support and guide the movements of said shoe; and passages through the wall of said core member to supply uid under pressure to the interior of said barrel so that it may enter and force the piston bosses outwardly in said openings.

11. A drill bit deflecting tool comprising: a tubular core member; means for securing said member to the tool string of a drilling rig; an upper head on said member; a lower head on said member, said heads being of substantially drill bit diameter; a cylindrical barrel ro-tatably surrounding said member between said heads, said barrel having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said heads; an indented socket formed in one side of said barrel; a shoe member resting in said socket; hydraulic means for forcing said shoe directlir outward from said barrel, the outer face of said shoe being rounded to conform to the external surface of said barrel; and means for limiting the outward movement of said shoe.

12. A drill bit deflecting tool comprising: a tubular core member; means for securing said member to the tool string of a drilling rig; an

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upper head on said member; a lower head on said member, said heads being of substantially drill bit diameter; a cylindrical barrel rotatably surrounding said member between said heads, said barrel having a diameter substantially equal to from the bottom of said socket to the core member on the interior thereof; and passages communicating from the interior of said core member to the exterior thereof so that fluid under pressure may flow from said core member into said openings to force the shoe outward from said barrel; and sealing means between the core and the barrel adjacent each extremity thereof to maintain the uid opposite the shoe.

13. A drill bit deiiecting tool comprising: a tubular core member; means for securing said member to the tool string of a drilling rig; an upper head on said member; a lower head on said member, said heads being of substantially drill bit diameter; a cylindrical barrel rotatably surrounding said member between said heads, said barrel having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said heads; an indented socket formed in one side of said barrel; a shoe member resting in said socket; openings communicating from the bottom of said socket to the core member on the interior thereof; piston bosses formed on the back of said shoe and being slidable in said openings to support and guide the movements of said shoe; means for supplying fluid under pressure to said openings to force said bosses outwardly therefrom; and a locking member projecting radially inward from said shoe into a receiving opening in said core member to prevent rotation of the core member in the barrel until the shoe has been forced outwardly therefrom.

14. A drill bit deilecting tool comprising: a tubular core member; means for securing said member to the tool string of a drilling rig; an upper head on said member; a lower head on said member, said heads being of substantially drill bit diameter; a cylindrical barrel rotatably surrounding said member between said heads, said barrel having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said heads; an indented socket formed on one side of said barrel; a shoe member resting in said socket; hydraulic means for forcing said shoe directly outward from said barrel, the outer face of said shoe being rounded to conform to the external surface of said barrel; means for limiting the outward movement of said shoe; and vertically extending teeth on the rounded face of said shoe for engaging the wall the diameter of said heads; an indented socket of a drill hole.

formed in one side of said barrel; a shoe member resting in said socket; openings communicating LLOYD R. DOWNING. 

